வறுத்து அரச்ச பன்னீர் கறி / Varutharacha Paneer Curry / Paneer Cooked in a Roasted Spices & Coconut Sauce

Hello Friends..Happy Krishna jayanthi everyone..Sorry about not having a glossary for krishna jayathi in my blog. I totally forgot about that, because I am a air head..HE HE..I thought of creating a glossary but some how missed it..I am planning to make so many things, but yet to start cooking. I will try to post pictures of our krishna jayanthi celebration in our house.

Now coming back to the recipe…Today we are cooking with Cottage Cheese/ Paneer, Its my favorite... I always have a packet of that in our fridge, because you never know when you need it. The cool thing about this is it gives you the meatier taste which a chicken provides and also it absorbs the flavour which you all into it.

This recipe was born from an accident. Because I thought of making it entirely different. But somehow the curry landed like this..I am not complaining about this, because the taste was wonderful. I hope you will give it a try and tell me how it turned out for you.

Ingredients:

Paneer - 200 gms cubed

Oil- 2 tblspn

Salt to taste

Sugar - 1 tsp

For Roasting & Grinding 1:

Oil- 1 tblspn

Fennel Seeds / Sombu - 1 tsp

Cinnamon / Pattai - 1 small piece

Cumin Seeds / Jeerkam - 1 tsp

Coriander seeds / Kothamalli - 1 tblspn

Dry Red Chilli - 10 ( I used Kashmiri Mirch)

Coconut -2 tblspn

For Roasting & Grinding 2:

Oil- 1 tblspn

Onion - 1 chopped

Tomato-1 chopped

Method:

Heat 1 tblspn oil in a kadai. Add in cubed paneer cubes and fry till light golden. Remove them and soak them it hot water till use. This way the paneer remains soft.

Heat 1 tblspn of oil and add in the fennel,cinnamon,cumin,coriander and dry red chilli  and roast them till everything turns golden. It will take around 5 mins.

Add in coconut and saute them for 3-4 mins.

Now remove them in a blender and make into a fine puree by adding some water. Keep this aside for just a moment.

Heat 1 tblspn oil again and add in onions and saute till they turn golden. Add in tomatoes and mix well. Cook for a couple of minutes.

Now remove them to the same blender where the spice masala is kept. Grind all these together to a smooth paste.

Heat 1 tblspn oil in the same kadai and add the ground masala. Add some water and bring everything to a boil.

Add in salt and sugar to taste. Mix well and simmer this for 15-20 mins till oil separates from this.

Now add in the drained paneer cubes and simmer for 5 more mins.

Switch off the flame and serve with roti or anything.

Pictorial:

Take all your ingrediants

Start by frying paneer cubes

fry till they turn golden

remove them and soak it in hot water till use

Now fry whole spices..Add fennel to a tblspn of oil

add cinnamon

cumin seeds

coriander seeds

and some lovely kashmiri red chilli

roast roast and roast

add coconut in

and roast for few more minutes

remove them to a blender

and make into a puree

now heat oil in a kadai

add onions in

and saute for few minutes

add in tomatoes and saute for few minutes

now add this to the same blender

and make into a puree

add that to a kadai

sprinkle some salt and a tiny amount of sugar

add some water and bring it to a boil

simmer till oil separates

now add in drained paneer cubes

and mix well

Serve